Pontefract Collieries won their first game in the FA Cup since 1997, defeating fellow Baris NCEL team Yorkshire Amateur to progress in the famous old competition.

With manager Brendon Ormsby being given a selection headache due to the return to fitness and form of players, he chose to start with those who had served him so well in the opening weeks of the season. This meant that Will Ramsay retained his place on the right side of midfield despite the excellent midweek performance of Ryan Poskitt, and places on the bench for the returning Haigh, Broadbent and Bray, together with Mick Walpole, Lee Stretton and Connor Rollinson.

Ormsby’s faith in his starting eleven was rewarded with a fiery start, as both teams made their attacking intentions clear from the referee’s whistle. Ammers’ Basheak Bussue shot at goal in the first minute, but Lee Kelsey was able to comfortably gather the effort. Down at the other end, James McDaid beat a man inside the box before feeding Stephen Edwards on the overlap, only to see the left-back’s effort fly into the side netting.

On the right hand side Will Ramsay cut inside to beat his full-back John Cullen, before unleashing a powerful left-footed shot that was ably dealt with by Danny Trueman in the Ammers’ net.

As the game settled down, Pontefract started to dominate, pinning their visitors back inside their own half for much of the opening half-hour, and forcing a series of corners. The third of these corners, won after some good work by Ramsay and James Hicks, led indirectly to the goal. McDaid’s corner was punched clear by Trueman, but fell at the feet of Liam Ormsby, hovering just outside the box for precisely this sort of event. Ormsby cushioned the ball away from the onrushing defender and set himself to shoot. Although Ormsby managed to get his shot away, he was unceremoniously flattened by the defender, and referee Cedric Duval awarded the free kick, 25 yards out from goal.

Liam Ormsby was not to be denied. He curled a delightful ball over the wall and into the back of the net, leaving Trueman stranded as the ball sailed into his net.

Spurred on by going behind, the visitors pushed forward and forced a corner of their own, with Ponte being grateful to Dean Twibey for clearing the ensuing header off the goal line. As Ammers pushed forward, Danny Forrest shot at goal, although his effort was too weak to trouble a ‘keeper of Kelsey’s quality. When Aston Webster skipped past Ramsay, the Colls man was rightly booked for flooring the Ammers play with a clumsy challenge, but was relieved to see the free kick rebound off the wall and away to safety, eventually resulting in a Colls corner when Hicks chased the ball down and put the left back under pressure.

After a five minute flourish from the visitors following the goal, Pontefract assumed control again, with Hicks and Ramsay battling hard and keeping their opponents under constant pressure. Pontefract forced another series of corners. Hicks was almost rewarded when he headed McDaids corner down and onto the underside of the crossbar, before Liam Ormsby beat two men down the right wing before sending in a delightful cross that was only just missing a decisive touch. As Ponte’s corner count for the half reached double figures, Hicks headed over a powerfully drilled McDaid cross.

Greig McGrory – who was having a quiet afternoon by his own high standards – joined the fray, beating two men in the box before seeing his effort deflected away for corner number 12. This time, the corner kick almost benefited the visitors, who broke away, at one stage having four men piling forward against two Ponte defenders. However, the final ball into the feet of Tom Marsden was overhit, and Kelsey bravely dived at the striker’s feet to smother the danger.

After the interval it was more of the same. The best move of the match should have doubled the Colls’ lead: Liam Ormsby slid the ball into the feet of Hicks who, with his back to goal and under the close scrutiny of both centre halves, flicked a superb pass over the Ammers defensive line and into the path of Greig McGrory. With the ‘keeper rushing out, McGrory lifted the ball over Trueman, but his effort sailed wide of the upright.

Ammers had their best effort of the game from a corner, when Marsden spun at the near post and smashed a ball towards the roof of the net. Kelsey showed fast reactions to parry the ball, and firm wrists to deflect it behind for another corner. That was as good as it got for the visitors. With Tom Robinson and Man of the Match Johnny Forsyth rock solid – Forsyth was winning everything in the air and covering every break with seeming ease – Kelsey’s goal was rarely threatened.

Pontefract were winning most of the crucial midfield battles, Scott McGrory and Liam Ormsby put in solid all-round performances in the engine room.

However, the Ponte fans demanded a decisive second goal, as they dared to hope for progress in the cup for the first time in 14 years. Ryan Poskitt almost settled it, cutting inside and beating two men before unleashing a powerful left-foot shot from 25 yards, that Trueman did brilliantly to save, diving at full stretch to his left. It was a sign of things to come from Poskitt, who had replaced McDaid and switched with Ramsay, who was causing Ammers as many problems down the left as he had earlier down the right.

With Ramsay and Poskitt taking men on, the visitors were pushed back time and time again. Ramsay beat his marker before cutting inside, and was steadying himself to cross the ball when dumped to the ground. Poskitt whipped in the free-kick to the front post, where James Hicks had timed his run to perfection to arrive in front of the ‘keeper and head home. It was no more than Ponte deserved, and settled the nerves of the home crowd who finally started to believe that their team would win an FA Cup tie.

A further moment of Poskitt magic almost added a final flourish, when the winger beat two men before cutting in from the goal line and whipping a fine ball across the face of goal. With McGrory off the pitch – replaced by Paul Haigh as Ormsby sought to shore up the midfield – there was no Ponte striker on the end of it. Once James Hicks’ 30 yard volley was held by Trueman, the action was done, and Ponte celebrated their win, and were applauded from the pitch for a convincing performance by their grateful fans.

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Pontefract: Lee Kelsey, Dean Twibey, Stephen Edwards, Johnny Forsyth (captain), Tom Robinson, Scott McGrory (repl. Andy Broadbent, 86), Will Ramsay, Liam Ormsby, James Hicks, Greig McGrory (repl. Paul Haigh, 80), James McDaid (repl. Ryan Poskitt, 73)

Subs not used: Lee Stretton, Mick Walpole, Duncan Bray, Connor Rollinson

Goals: Liam Ormsby (17), James Hicks (83)

Cautions: Will Ramsay